A SET OF FOUR LATE EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED PARCEL-GILT MAHOGANY CHAISES

The bold, innovative design of these chairs is typical of the output of what is possibly the most renowned Parisian furniture maker of the early 19th Century. Jacob-Desmalter et Cie garnered favour with many significant patrons, such as Pauline Borghese and the Empress Josephine. Jarry (loc. cit.) attributes the chair to Jacob-Desmalter, furthermore it is almost certain that the chair she illustrates is one from this set, as she states it is from the Grognot collection. These chairs with their robust combination of classical motifs and rich materials are typical of Jacob-Desmalter’s oeuvre and whilst other direct comparables have not been discovered, details of their design as well as their confidence of line have strong parallels amongst Jacob-Desmalter’s known body of work.